Chicken Adobo

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

June 2013 - The issue of CI has been open to this page for a year. Last
night I finally decided to make it. Carol Gutoff joined us and we found
the dish heavenly. The flavor is rich and meaty with a bright tang. The
coconut milk disappears into the velvety sauce - this is not some Thai curry,
but the Filipino style. Cooking left a bunch of dirty pots, but oh was
it worth it!

Place the chicken in a bowl and pour the soy
sauce over it. Place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Every 10
minutes move the chicken around so that it all gets a good chance
to soak in the soy sauce.

B.

chicken from above

Remove the chicken from the bowl and place skin side down in
an unheated skillet; non-stick is best. If your pan is not, then
brush a little bit of vegetable oil on it first. Allow the soy sauce
to drip off the chicken before putting it in the skillet. Save the
soy sauce.

Place the skillet on a burner and turn the heat to medium-high.
Cook for 8 minutes.

C.

marinade from above

coconut milk

13 1/2 ounce can

cider vinegar

3/4 cup

ground black pepper

2 teaspoons

bay leaves, dried

4 leaves

garlic

8 cloves

Peeled and sliced thick

While the chicken is cooking, to the soy sauce
marinade add the coconut milk, vinegar and pepper. Mix it together
well.

Add the bay leaves and garlic.

D.

brown rice

1 cup

In another pot, bring 8 cups of salted water
to a boil.

When the water boils, add the brown rice.

Reduce the heat slightly, but keep the water at a steady boil.

E.

enhanced marinade from step C.

8 minutes after the rice has started to boil...

...remove the chicken to a plate. Try to pull up the chicken
with the skin intact; a spatula might help if the chicken skin is
sticking.

Pour out all the oil from the pan.

Put the chicken back in the pan, skin side down. Add the coconut
mixture and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer
uncovered for 20 minutes.

Now turn the chicken over and simmer for another 15 minutes.

When the time is up, turn off the heat under the boiling brown
rice.

F.

scallions

2

Very thinly slice just the white parts

Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover with a tent
of aluminum foil to keep warm. (The aluminum doesn't trap the heat,
but it keeps the air near the chicken moist, slowing evaporative
cooling.)

Remove the bay leaves and skim off all the fat you can. Then
bring to a strong simmer for 6 minutes to thicken the sauce.

While the sauce is reducing, drain the brown rice and put into
a serving bowl.